Hand Strengthening Exercise by Guitarist Kelly Richey

In this video, I teach you my three main “go-to” hand strengthening exercises; exercises that I’ve used with my students for over 25 years. One in an isometric exercise and can be done using absolutely no gym equipment and can be doing anywhere throughout your day. The other two exercises use a pair of ten-pound dumbbells and a chair or couch. Each of these three exercises takes roughly one minute each, and can easily be worked into your daily routine. You can repeat these exercises as many times as you like and you will absolutely get results– fast!

Hand strength for any guitarist is important, but as a female guitarist, hand strength is critical. If I’m going to pour every ounce of emotion that I’m feeling into each note, strength and precision are a must. These strength-building exercises combined with a finger exercise warm-up routine are an excellent investment of your time each day. Face it, most people don’t have time to practice each and every day, however, the isometric hand exercise can be done while you’re driving, walking, standing in line at Starbucks! The finger exercises can be done in 5 minutes when you wake up, before bed, or while waiting for a pot of coffee to brew– can you tell I’m s coffee drinker!?

Building a solid connection with your instrument is the most important thing you can do as a player and having the hand strength to execute it is imperative! You can know a ton of songs, but if you’re not connected to your instrument you won’t have the freedom that you desire.

Check out my finger exercise routine that consists of three variations of a chromatic scale that uses all four fingers in three different combinations. These finger exercises are simple, but doing them properly is not easy! Becoming a great player starts with building a strong foundation, and from there, the sky is the limit.

One-on-One Blues Rock Guitar Lessons with Kelly Richey

In addition to her reputation as a touring musician and recording artist, Kelly Richey has over 30 years of teaching experience. She is a dedicated guitar instructor who is passionate about inspiring students to learn.